Loose-leaf binder



March 24, 1925.v 1,531,204

J. MGLAU'GHLIN LoosE LEAF BINDER Filed June 6. 1924 WITNESSES PatentedMar. 24, 1925.

UNHEID STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES 'McLAUGHL/IN, 0F CHICGOv ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO STEEL BACK FILE &LEDGER C0., GF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION QF ILLINOIS.

LOOSE-.LEAF BIN-DER.

Application filed June 6, 1924.

To all whom 27; may @einem Be it known that I, JAMES lvIGLAuGHLiN, acitizen ,of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the countykotl @ook andState of Illinois, lia-ve invented a new and linpiovelLOQSe-Lea/f Binder. of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in looseleafl binders, and it `pertains more pantieularly to thehook-.oonstruetion thereof.

It is one of the primary objects of the invention to `construct l.aloose leaf hinder bool: in suoli a `manner that Ethei niechanisin `isnot rigidly seoured to ythe cover at Lthe hack portion thereof. o

llt is a ffurther object of ,the inventlonto eonstnuct a ineohanisnrot'.this irigiture suoli a Inlnnner that vthe .several part-s xthereof .arenot @Permanently ,secured together, and therefore, are capable otdetachment lWith respeot lto one another.

Slt Iarfijurther object ot theA `invention ,to constructtheineehanisinin suoli a vmanner thetthe-stra-in Vincident tothecarrying of a plurality of detachable leaves is `distrihiited throughthe Covers rather ,than at :e P0111@ at vthe vsofmilled .baeli of theyhook.

lt is a further objeetotthe inventionto construct a "loose ,lent hinder,eonstruction in suoli .a nimmer ,that the leafcarrying prongs `willppensutlieiently to permit the leaves heine attached to oindetachedtherefrom hy alvortical :movement `rather than necessitating a movementoi the ,leaves through thenrc ol a ciroleasislthe conin'ion pi'inctiee.

iIt is `a itu-rthor object of theinvention to provide a loose ,leafbool( ,eonstl'yetion in which thek several parts ot' the haelt arehingedly connectedy ,together .A in L such ,a inannery that the pintlelof the hinge Erigidly I retninssnoli partsin theirfopeizative relationto one,. aniother.k

iVVith thel`ahovei and other ohjec-tslin view, irferenee ishad to theaccompanyingdreivings, in lWhich-- `VFigure `l isa detailplaniviewoofagloose leefihook construetion inadein accordance with thepresenti-nventiomand in itsA closed iwsition;

Fig. 2 isv ai.. similar view with. thepdeviee in .its openl position;

`Serial No. 7 18,340.

Fig. 3 is a similar .view With the prong hars removed and showing one ofthe back hars tolded over upon the cover; l

F L is a. ,det-ail transverse sectional view talien on the line 4 4 ofFig. l;

Fig. 5 .is a rdetail transverse sectional view showing the hack brokenwith the leaf prongs in open position;

Fig. 6 is adetail transverse sectional vieu' taken on the lineG-,GofFig. 3.

Referring inore particularly to the dran'- iligs, `the. reference`nunieral 10 designates a hookeover, Whichinay formed of leather or anyother `suitable material. Carried hy eac-h haltol the cover on its innertace, there is `a :facing or lining ll which is se cured .to the coverhy means ot glue lor the like.

is aforesaid, lthe reference `nuinher l0 designatestlie cover, and thatsectionof the cover designated ,by Vthe reference numeral l2, istlie'bacleot kthe hoolnand will hereinat'ter he sore'terred to. Thehacltsection `l2 ot' the cover iis reinforced `hy .ineans of two parallel.strips lef', suitahlyoseoiired thereto,

saidstrii'is*being spaced with respect toeach l 1 other, as designatedliy Vthe reference nuineral .13. i i The `referenceA nun'ieral l5 opdesignates. hack hais, and ls'ueh hars 'are preferably constructed.troni inetal or other suitable rigid material. y.rlhes'e hack :hars areAout yas at 16, to provide lugs i7, suclilugs standing upward, as shownat'lS in the drawings. These 'baeli hars .are ,secured .l to the coverhy means oit `nieinliers 19 of hoolihinders rlothor other suitablen'iaterial. and ,such inenihei's lflkextend under their respectiveifaringsor linings f11,.as designated-hy the reference miniera] 2O inthe drawings.y The inner.edgesl of these ineinhers ,arefseeiired totheir respective hack hai' hy 'means of glue orI yintany othersuitableEinaniielyand the l'ghe ,inaftermentioned as formed onl the hack hars1,5are assed. through such ineinhers 19,.asnnorefcgearly shown inFligs-4, 5 and ,Each of these hack harsil; is formed on its inneredge withhinge lgnuelkles 22, and such hinge knuckles 22 areadapted lto alinewith one another ,whenvthe hinge hars are folded inwardlyy of `thecover,or in position upon their respective stripsvlll.

The ,reference nuineral ,30 designates prong bans, and suclrprolng harsare suh- Lll) ' knuckles '22 aline with each other.

stantially channel-shaped in cross section. Carried by each ofthe prongbars is a plurality of prongs 31, and such prongs are adapted tointerengage as designated by the reference numeral 32 in Fig. 1, whenthe mechanism is in its closed position. Each of the prong bars 3() isprovided upon one of its side Walls With a flange 33, and these lianges33 are adapted to engage beneath the lugs 17 of their respective backbars 15, as more: clearly shown in Figs. 4l and 5, the other side Wallof each of the prong bars being provided with a plurality of hingeknuckles 34,.

The hinge knuckles 22 carried by the back bars 15 and the hinge knuckles`34 carried by the prong bars 30, are so positioned with respect to eachother that when the several parts of the mechanism are assembled, theknuckles will aline to form a continuous hinge of the type known as apiano hinge. IVhen the several knuckles are in alinement a hinge ypintleis passed therethrough and through the medium of this hinge pintle 35,the several parts will be retained in their operative position.

The reference numeral designates a suitable lock -of any desired form,and such lock is operated by means of a finger piece el. The particularconstruction of this locking mechanism, however, forms no part of thepresent invention, and for this reason the same is only conventionallyshown.

In constructing a loose leaf binder in accordance with the presentinvention, the

flexible members 19 With the back bars at-` tached thereto are securedto the cover 10 beneath the inner `facings 11 thereof, as designated bythe reference numeral 20. Afterthis has been done, the back bars arefolded into such position that their hiige 1e .flanges 33 of the prongbars 30 are novv engaged beneath their respective lugs 17 of the backbars 15 and they are folded inwardly until the prongs 31 engage eachother and the hinge knuckles 3-1 of the prong bars 30 aline with eachother and the hinge knuckles of the back bars 15. After this has beenaccomplished, the hinge pintle 35 is inserted through the severalalined` hinge knuckles to secure the several parts in operativerelation.

If it is desired to disa-ssemble the mechanism, it is yonly necessary toremove the hinge pintle 35 and the prong bars 30 are then Vfreelyremovable lby a lateral movement sufficient to disengage their flanges33 from beneath their respective lugs 17 ofthe back bars 15.l

From the foregoing it is apparent that the present invention provides aloose leaf binder mechanism in Which the several parts are rigidlysecured together by means of the pintle of the hinge of the mechanism,and,

furthermore, it is apparent that the mechanism may be readilydisassembled by a removal of said hinge pintle.

It will be further noted that by a construction such as heretoforedescribed, the strain incident to the` opening and closing of theleaf-carrying prongs, as Well as the strain imposed thereon by theleaves carried thereby, is distributed through the covers.

What is claimed is:

1. In a loose leaf binder, a cover, a plurality of back bars hingedlyconnected to the cover, a prong bar carried by each of said back bars, aplurality of hinge knuckles formed on said back bars and on said prongbars, said hinge knuckles-being adapted to aline With each other, and ahinge pintle adapted to pass through saidl alined hinge knuckles forsecuring the prong 'bars 'in hinged relation and to their respectiveback bars.

2. In a loose leaf binder construction, a cover, a pair of back barscarried by the cover, and a prong bar removably associated With each ofSaid back bars.

3. A loose leaf binder back construction, comprising a cover member, apair of rigid elements carried by said cover member and constitutingback bars, a prong bar carried by each of said back bars, and a commonmeans for hingedly connecting and securing said back bars and said prongbars together.

t. In a loose leaf binder construction, a cover, a plurality of backbars carried by the cover, a plurality of prong bars associated With theback bars and having interengagement therewith, each of said prong barsbeing removable from its respective back bar by movement laterallythereof-and means for preventing lateral movement of the prong barsrelative to their respective back bars, said last-mentioned meanscomprising a hinge pivotally connecting the prong bars together.

A4 loose leaf binder construction, comprising in combination With acover, a plurality of rigid elements carried thereby, a plurality oflugs struck from each of said rigid elements, a plurality of hingeknuckles carried by each of said rigid elements, a plurality of prongbars, a flange associated with each of said prong bars and adapted toengage beneath the lugs of its respective rigid element, hinge knucklesformed on each ofthe prong bars and adapted to aline With each other andWith the hinge knuckles formed on the rigid elements, and apintleadapted to be passed through the hinge knuckles of both the rigidelements and the prong bars for hingedly connecting the rigid elementsand the prong bars together.

G. A loose leaf binder back construction comprising a cover member, aplurality of rigid members carried thereby and constituting baokbarshingetllyconnected to the cover member, a. plurality of alininghinge i knucklescarried said back bars, a plurality of prong bars,hingeknuckles carried fen ityof back bars carried by said cover and therebyand adapted to aline 'with the knuckles olf the .back bars, and a pintlepassing through said alined hinge knuckles and forming means forretainingthe back bars and prong bars in assembled'relation.

7. In a loose leaf binder, a cover, a pluralin parallel relation to eachother, a plurality of upstanding lugs carried by said back bars, a prongbai-[adapted for attachment to each of said back bars, a flange formedon each of said prong bars and adapted to engage beneath the lugs of itsrespective back bar, and means'for securing the back bars ysaid rigidback bars together.

JAMES MCLAUGHLIN.

